Some verbs are called
"contract verbs" because in the present
system (present and imperfect tenses) a contraction
takes place when a personal ending is attached to the
stem. When learning the contraction rules, it may be
easiest to think of the personal ending in terms of
the forms that include the connecting vowel. Remember
that these are the familiar endings for the present
tense:

Present Active(connecting
vowel + personal ending)

singular

plural

1st
person

ω

ομεν

2nd
person

εις

ετε

3rd
person

ει

ουσι

The
contract verbs have stems ending in a short vowel,
either α,
ε, or
ο. These stem endings combine
with sufformatives (connecting vowel + personal
ending) in a contracted form according to the
following chart:

suffix
(connecting
vowel + personal ending)begins with...

ε

ει

η

ῃ

ο

ου

οι

ω

final
vowel
in
stem

α

α

ᾳ

α

ᾳ

ω

ω

ῳ

ω

ε

ει

ει

η

ῃ

ου

ου

οι

ω

ο

ου

οι

ω

οι

ου

ου

οι

ω

As an example,
consider the verb λαλέω. This is the form you would
find as the entry in a lexicon, or in a list of
vocabulary words. But this form will never occur in
the Greek New Testament. Instead, the final ε in the stem λαλε- combines with the sufformative
ω. Consulting the chart, you can
determine what contracted form results from
ε + ω...

suffix
(connecting
vowel + personal ending)begins with...

ε

ει

η

ῃ

ο

ου

οι

ω

final
vowel
in
stem

α

α

ᾳ

α

ᾳ

ω

ω

ῳ

ω

ε

ει

ει

η

ῃ

ου

ου

οι

ω

ο

ου

οι

ω

οι

ου

ου

οι

ω

So λαλε + ω = λαλω.

What about the accent
mark? The placement of the accent mark can be
determined by imagining what the placement would be
if the verb were uncontracted. Then, if the accent
mark falls on either of the syllables that will
combine to form the contracted syllable, the
resulting contracted syllable will be accented.

If the contracted
syllable is accented and is the ultima, it will have
a circumflex accent. For example, λαλέω contracts to form λαλῶ with circumflex on the ultima.

If the contracted
syllable is not the ultima, the type of accent will
be determined by the general rules you already know.

Consider the imperfect
active indicative, 1st person singular of the same
verb.

Imperfect
Active(connecting
vowel + personal ending)

singular

plural

1st
person

ον

ομεν

2nd
person

ες

ετε

3rd
person

ε

ον

ἐλαλε + ον

First, imagine the
verb uncontracted. What syllable would be accented
and what kind of accent would it have?

ἐλαλε + ον

ἐλάλεον

What vowels are going
to combine in the contraction?

ἐλάλεον

Now consult the table
to see how they should be contracted...

suffix
(connecting
vowel + personal ending)begins with...

ε

ει

η

ῃ

ο

ου

οι

ω

final
vowel
in
stem

α

α

ᾳ

α

ᾳ

ω

ω

ῳ

ω

ε

ει

ει

η

ῃ

ου

ου

οι

ω

ο

ου

οι

ω

οι

ου

ου

οι

ω

Then the contracted
form is ἐλάλουν.

This contraction of
the final stem vowel in contract verbs occurs only in
the present system. This is because in the other
principal parts, a consonant is the first letter in
the sufformative. However, in most contract verbs,
the final stem vowel is lengthened outside the
present system. For example, the future of λαλέω is
λαλήσω, the aorist act. is ἐλάλησα, the perfect active is λελάληκα, the perfect middle is λελάλημαι, the aorist passive is ἐλαλήθην, and the future passive is λαληθήσομαι.

View the present
system (indicative mood) of ἀγαπάω, ποιέω, and πληρόω, the most frequently occuring -αω, -εω, and -οω verbs respectively.

There are different
ways to teach contraction. The method above is that
used by James Hewett in New Testament Greek, A
Beginning and Intermediate Grammar. Specifically,
the chart used above is adapted from Hewett's chart
on p. 120 of his text book. Another method is that
found in the classic beginning grammar by J. Gresham
Machen, New Testament Greek for Beginners (p.
143ff). This method stipulates a set of verbal rules
for forming contractions. More recently, in the
popular Basics of Biblical Greek (p. 133ff),
William D. Mounce reverses this. He encourages the
student to think first of the contracted form, and
then discern how it came to be. Whether viewed from
the contracted form first or from the component form
first, it is useful to understand these rules because
they hold generally, and not only with respect to the
particular contractions discussed in this lesson. For
example, look back at lesson 4 to see a vowel contraction you
previously learned. It can now be accounted for in
terms of the same rules that govern the particular
verbs known as contract verbs.These rules are as
follows:

In grammar, the term liquid
is used of "a nonfrictional and vowel-like
consonant; a letter with a smooth, flowing
sound"(Webster's
New Twentieth Century Dictionary, 2nd ed.). In order to have a context in
which to understand the term liquid, you
might find it helpful to look over the classification
of all Greek consonants.

The term liquid
has not been used consistently with reference to the
Greek alphabet. One grammar (Greek Grammar, by Hadley and
Allen) classifies
as liquids λ, μ, ν, ρ, and γ nasal (γ immediately preceding κ, ξ, χ or another γ).Another (Grammar of New Testament Greek, Vol.
2, Accidence and Word Formation by J. H. Moulton
and W. F. Howard)
classifies as liquids only those that are also
non-nasal, λ and ρ (p. 41; however, it is allowed that μ and ν are often considered liquids, and in
fact even elsewhere in this same volume, they are
described as nasal liquids). In any event, liquid
verbs are those having stems ending in λ, μ, ν, or ρ.

Liquid verbs require
special attention primarily because for these verbs,
some of of the clues on which you have come to rely
to identify the future tense and the aorist tense
will not work.

Liquid
Futures

For the future tense,
you have learned to look for σ attached to the stem. But this σ is not present in the future
forms of liquid verbs. This is because an
ε is first added to the liquid
stem, and the σ, which would now stand between
the ε and the connecting vowel,
drops out. This brings the ε together with the connecting vowel and
personal ending, resulting in a contraction in
accordance with the rules given above. This results
in two peculiarities that will help you to recognize
a form as a future of a liquid verb:

(1) As in the
contract verbs (those with stems ending in
α, ε, or
ο), because of the
contraction, the accent mark will often be one
syllable closer to the end than you would expect
(i.e. when the ultima is short, the accent mark
will often be on the penult, and when the ultima
is long, the accent will often be on the ultima);
and when on the ultima, the accent will always be
a circumflex.

(2) Where you
would expect to see simply an
ο as a connecting vowel, you
will see ου because ε + ο = ου.

Of course, these are
similar to characteristics of contract verbs, and
especially similar to those with stems ending in
ε. However, the point at issue
here is not identifying the verb as contract verb or
liquid verb. You should be able to do that by being
familiar with the root word. You would recognize that
τιμάω is a contract verb, and you
would also know that μένω
is not a contract verb. Rather
the point at issue here is distinguishing between
future forms and present forms of liquid verbs.

It may occur to you
that the accent mark might be the only thing to
distinguish a future tense liquid verb from the
present tense of the same verb. And indeed, this is
sometimes true. For example, compare the present
tense κρίνω and the future tense κρινῶ.
However,
often, the stem used in the present system will have
an internal spelling variation from the stem used in
the future system, as in the case of present tense
βάλλω and future tense βαλῶ.

Liquid
Aorists

For the (1st) aorist
tense, you have learned to look for σα attached to the stem. But the σ is not present in the aorist
forms of liquid verbs. Instead, there may be other
changes to the stem. However, these are not
necessarily 2nd aorist verbs. Most often, they are
first aorist verbs and therefore they retain the α before the personal endings,
and will omit the ν in the active voice, 1st
person singular just as other 1st aorists do.

Consider the
adjectives good, better, and best.
Good is an adjective in the positive
degree. It simply modifies a noun without making any
comparison. The statement, "This is a good
apple" doesn't say anything about the apple
in comparison with some other apple. Another apple
may be equally good, or not.

Better is an
adjective in the comparative degree.
"This apple is better than that one."

Best is an
adjective in the superlative degree.
"This is the best apple."

In English, adjectives
in the comparative degree often end in -er,
and adjectives in the superlative degree often end in
-est.

large, larger,
largest
small, smaller, smallest

Comparatives
in -τερος, Superlatives in -τατος

In Greek, adjectives
in the comparative degree often have
sufformatives beginning with τερ. Remember that adjectives are
declined for gender, case, and number. Accordingly,
the comparative endings can be...

comparative endings in-τερος

masculine

feminine

neuter

sing.

plur.

sing.

plur.

sing.

plur.

nom.

-τερος

-τεροι

-τερα

-τεραι

-τερον

-τερα

gen.

-τερου

-τερων

-τερας

-τερῶν

-τερου

-τερων

dat.

-τερῳ

-τεροις

-τερᾳ

-τεραις

-τερῳ

-τεροις

acc.

-τερον

-τερους

-τεραν

-τερας

-τερον

-τερα

These
endings are affixed to the masculine stem of the
positive. For example, νέος, α, ον, is the adjective meaning new,
fresh, young. The comparative is formed on the
stem νεο-. However, the omicron in the
stem of such adjectives is often lengthened. So for
example Lk. 15:13 has ὁ
νεώτερος υἱός, the younger son.
Note that even when the adjective is feminine, it is
built on this same stem, νεο-, not
νεα- (and again the omicron is
lengthened). So for example in the LXX, Gen. 29:26
has τὴν νεωτέραν, the younger, with
reference to Rachel, the younger sister of Leah.

The corresponding superlative
forms have sufformatives beginning with τατ...

superlative endings in -τατος

masculine

feminine

neuter

sing.

plur.

sing.

plur.

sing.

plur.

nom.

-τατος

-τατοι

-τατα

-ταται

-τατον

-τατα

gen.

-τατου

-τατων

-τατας

-τατῶν

-τατου

-τατων

dat.

-τατῳ

-τατοις

-τατᾳ

-ταταις

-τατῳ

-τατοις

acc.

-τατον

-τατους

-ταταν

-τατας

-τατον

-τατα

As with
the comparatives, these endings are affixed to the
masculine stem of the positive. And again, the
omicron in the stem of such adjectives is often
lengthened.

In the New Testament,
superlatives do not occur frequently, their place
often being filled by comparatives used with a
superlative force.

Comparatives
in -ιων, Superlatives in -ιστος

Some adjectives form
comparatives using the endings -ιων (masc. and fem.) and -ιον (neuter) declined according to
the 3rd declension. These adjectives form
superlatives using -ιστος, -ιστη, -ιστον. The comparatives and
superlatives of these adjectives are formed on the
root word rather than on the masculine form of the
positive. The ι in the
comparatives sometimes moves to an internal position
in the stem. Consider μείζων, greater, the
comparative of μέγας, great. The
comparative form is declined below:

In some exceptional
words, an open vowel may be followed by a close vowel
but no diphthong is formed. Instead the two letters
stand in distinct syllables. To indicate this, the
second vowel is marked with a diaeresis, two
dots over the letter. This is often seen in words
that came to Greek from another language, especially
proper nouns that were simply transliterated into
Greek. Some examples are
Μωϋσῆς (3 syllables), Γάϊος (3 syllables),
Βηθσαϊδά (4 syllables). The word diaeresis
itself comes to us from a Greek word, διαίρεσις (division), a compound of διά and
αἵρεσις, the latter word being the
source of our heresy and meaning sect,
party.